A Polk County commissioner is proposing a one-cent countywide sales tax to give voters property tax relief. He says the plan could help the county maintain the services people rely on if Amendment 3 passes in November.Commission er Bill Braswell says the proposal could generate roughly $160 million to $180 million a year, providing an alternative to cutting county services if Polk County loses an estimated $133 million in property tax revenue.During a lengthy work session Friday, commissioners heard from county departments about the services funded by property tax revenue, including fire and EMS, roads and drainage, and parks.County Manager Bill Beasley warned that if Amendment 3 passes, the potential impact would go well beyond a single budget year.It will clearly reshape Polk's entire fiscal trajectory for many years to come, he said.County outlines services at stakeRather than identify specific cuts, county departments spent much of the meeting explaining what they provide to the public and how those services are funded.Polk County Fire Rescue described the demands created by continued population growth and the need for additional emergency response capacity.Roads and Drainage discussed road maintenance, drainage, bridges, traffic signals, and capital projects.Other presentations detailed services people may take for granted, including library programs, parks and recreation facilities, boat ramps, mosquito control, emergency management, and other public safety functions.Beasley cautioned that Amendment 3 could lead to depleted reserves, deferred capital projects, closer scrutiny of staffing, and reductions or elimination of some programs.He also pointed out the political challenge facing local governments: voters may welcome a lower property tax bill while being unwilling to accept reductions in the services that tax revenue supports.Braswell proposes one-cent sales taxBraswell proposed replacing the county's current half-cent indigent-care surtax with a one-cent countywide infrastructure sales tax.He estimates the one-cent tax could generate roughly $160 million to $180 million a year.Under his proposal, the money would help fund infrastructure and services while also offsetting property taxes.Braswell described it as a different way of funding local government rather than simply adding another tax."This is a math problem. Thats all it is," he said. We can take stuff away, or we can keep it in place, and we can fund it differently."A major part of Braswell's proposal is what he calls a property tax offset with a look back.Under the concept, the county would determine how much sales tax was collected and then use that amount to offset property taxes, potentially bringing the county's property tax close to zero.Braswell said the goal would be to give people the property tax relief they want while maintaining county services.He also argued that the sales tax would not necessarily be as burdensome as the property tax it replaces.For example, he said someone paying $1,000 in county property taxes would have to spend significantly more than $1,000 in taxable purchases to generate that same amount through the sales tax because many household expenses, including groceries, insurance, and medical care, are not subject to the sales tax.Plan faces major hurdlesThe proposal is far from a reality.Braswell said Florida law limits the types of sales taxes counties can impose and would need to be changed to give Polk County the flexibility he's seeking.The county would also need agreements with the cities in Polk County to establish how the sales tax revenue would be distributed.He wants the county to begin working on the proposal now so it could potentially go before voters in November 2027, since the proposal would ultimately require voter approval.Braswell also said the county should pursue the concept whether or not Amendment 3 passes in November.Voters remain dividedThe debate comes as Polk County voters consider whether the proposed property tax changes are worth the potential consequences.Most voters Tampa Bay 28 interviewed in the Mulberry Walmart parking lot Thursday said they believe local government has room to reduce spending and that property taxes have risen sharply as property values increased during the pandemic.Gerald Reynolds, who has lived in Mulberry since 1971, said he is not convinced the county will actually need to make the dire cuts officials are warning about.I think the government just wastes money, he said. That's my opinion.Another voter, Mark Devries, said he remains undecided because he wants more detail on where cuts could fall.For county commissioners, the next step is determining whether Braswell's proposal can become a workable alternative.The board has not approved the one-cent sales tax proposal. Commissioners indicated they want Braswell and county staff to continue brainstorming the idea. ...read more read less